Page 3 of An Heir For Her Enemy

“Of course.” Delaney shot Logan an apologetic look. “It was nice meeting you.”

“You as well. Maybe I’ll see you around.” Logan smiled at Delaney and turned to join a group of businessmen as Carmen led Delaney towards a painting on the far side of the room.

“Sorry to drag you away,” Carmen said. “He was very handsome.”

Delaney glanced at Carmen in surprise. “Um, yes. But don’t worry about it. I’m working this evening.”

“I know, I know. But I know your work isn’t just art consultation. You’re looking for a wealthy man, aren’t you?” Carmen winked. “Well, I’ll point you in the right direction.”

“Oh!” Delaney blushed. “Not at all. I’m only here as an art consultant.”

“Sure, sure.” Carmen shot her a conspiratorial look. “Well, even so, you could do worse than Logan Banks.”

“You know him?”

“Everyone does. He was on the thirty-under-thirty list for the last two years in a row. I’m surprised you didn’t know.”

Delaney glanced back at Logan, who was now deep in conversation with the group of businessmen. His whole posture seemed different from when he’d been talking to her. He looked alert, like he’d be ready to start a boxing match at any moment. He was still very handsome.

“Well, good for him.” Delaney kept her tone neutral. She was glad she hadn’t known about Logan’s reputation when they’d talked. Without knowing just how successful he was, Delaney had found him approachable, even relatable.

“Yes. Anyway, keep your eyes on the prize. I need my next billion.” Carmen pointed to a painting of a pair of small dogs playing in a flowery field. “Is this going to get me there?”

Delaney put all thoughts of Logan out of her mind and focused on the painting. It had been nice to spend a little time flirting with someone, but she was here for work, not for fun. Delaney hadn’t managed to build a successful art consultation business on her own, by age twenty-five, while getting a master’s degree, by getting distracted by random guys.

Not even attractive guys who made her heart flutter.

“This one looks pretty good,” she said. “But the asking price is a little high. I’d see if you can negotiate it down a little…”

CHAPTER 2

LOGAN

“And after all that, it was still the best golf game I’ve played in my life!”

Logan laughed along with the rest of the group, though he knew his reaction was a little delayed. If he was being honest with himself, he hadn’t been paying very close attention to the golf story. Golf, like buying houses in the Hamptons and staffing yachts, was one of the hobbies of the affluent that Logan just wasn’t interested in.

Logan was relatively new to the world of the wealthy. He’d started investing early, as a teenager, and had managed to grow his portfolio extensively over the last few years. Unlike most of the people in this room, he hadn’t come from family money, but had built everything he had himself through hard work, little sleep, and dedication.

Perhaps that was why he struggled to be a part of the world of the wealthy. Although he now had a portfolio in the high hundreds of millions, he couldn’t seem to break into the social side of affluence. That was why he’d decided to collect art — he’d heard it was a way into the wealthy sphere. Being part ofthe world of the wealthy was important if he was to gain new investors, which Logan would need if he ever wanted to break the one-billion mark.

Yet so far, his art collection had been more or less a bust. He’d collected a few pieces on the advice of an art consultant, but he hadn’t seen any positive effects. Apparently, without a “crowning jewel” or particularly unusual piece, his collection wouldn’t be taken seriously in the upper echelons of society.

The only real success in his art-collection enterprise so far had been Delaney. Logan had little time for romance — all his free time was dedicated to building his company. It had been nice to flirt with Delaney, though. She was like a breath of fresh air in a room that had become stifling with old money and societal pressure.

Logan would have liked to talk to her a little longer, but she seemed to be busy with her client now. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her and the client circle the room, stopping in front of several paintings for long moments. She wore a flattering off-white dress that showed off her feminine curves. Her blond hair fell in curls around her shoulders and her blue eyes sparkled as she looked at the pieces — though not so much when she spoke to Carmen.

“…right into a sand trap,” one of the men said, to universal commiserating sighs. Logan refocused his attention on the conversation. He wasn’t going to achieve the standing he needed by staring after an art consultant all night, no matter how beautiful or interesting she was.

For the next hour or so, Logan talked to other high-net-worth individuals who were interested in art. Yet as he spoke about painters and golf games and the stock market, his eyes driftedback to Delaney frequently. Towards the end of the evening, her client said her goodbyes and left. Delaney watched her go, then took a small cake from a passing tray and started towards the door.

This was Logan’s shot.

“Excuse me, please.” He extricated himself from the group he’d been talking to and hurried after Delaney. He caught her just as she was collecting a light jacket and purse from the coat check.

“Oh, Logan.” She looked surprised, but pleased, to see him again.

“Hey. I saw that you’re leaving. So soon?”

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